Beekeeper in the Hamptons Accused of Hiding a Violent Past in Rwanda

Faustin Nsabumukunzi, who has been living a quiet life in New York's Hamptons, is alleged by prosecutors to have been involved in orchestrating one of the most brutal events of the 20th century in Rwanda.

Having escaped the horror and brutality of widespread killings and sexual assaults, a Rwandan beekeeper named Faustin Nsabumukunzi established a peaceful existence in the Hamptons, taking up again the vocation he left behind during one of the darkest periods of his homeland.

According to allegations by federal prosecutors, the serene life he led in Long Island was merely a facade, masking his grim past.

Contrary to claims of having fled from the genocide, the prosecution asserts that Nsabumukunzi actively participated in it. He is accused of inciting the Hutu ethnic majority to commit violence against the Tutsi minority, attacking Tutsis with a weapon himself, and instructing Hutus to discard the bodies of murdered Tutsis, referring to them disdainfully as 'trash' and 'garbage.'

Furthermore, upon seeking asylum in the United States in 2003, and later when applying for permanent residency and citizenship, it is alleged he misrepresented his role in the genocide.

Early Thursday, authorities took Mr. Nsabumukunzi into custody in Bridgehampton, N.Y., on immigration fraud charges. He is facing potential penalties of up to 30 years in prison and possibly deportation to Rwanda, where he has been wanted for nearly twenty years.

During his court appearance before Judge Joanna Seybert in Central Islip, the 65-year-old, dressed in casual attire, denied the charges. His son Thierry, 38, was present in the courtroom for support. He was released on bail set at $250,000, funded by Steve Felsher, for whom he works as a gardener.

Mr. Nsabumukunzi's attorney, Evan Sugar, argued that his client should be released on bail, highlighting his lack of financial resources to escape the country and his arthritis as reasons.